CRPF man killed in Naxal blast

Raipur, May 24

An official of the CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit was on Thursday killed and another jawan injured when a pressure bomb, planted by Naxals, went off in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, the police said.

The blast occurred around 7.45 am in a forest near Puswada village when a road opening party of the 206th battalion of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action)—a specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)—was out on patrolling, said a senior police official.

“Sub-Inspector Rajesh Kumar, belonging to CoBRA 206th battalion, was killed in the explosion while constable Manik Tinpare of the same unit sustained minor injuries,” he said.

The road opening party had launched the operation between Timilwada to Dornapal, around 500 km away from here, he said.

While the security personnel were cordoning off a forest near Puswada, the CoBRA official came in contact with a pressure improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Maoists beneath the dirt track, that exploded leaving the two personnel, including him, injured, he said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured brought to field hospital of the CRPF in Chintagufa where Kumar succumbed to his injuries, he said.

The injured jawan would be airlifted to Raipur for further medication, he said. A combing operation has been launched inthe area to nab the ultras, he added. — PTI